Replies

1. 
   john_c2 | Jul 16, 2020 03:42pm | #1

   White pine was perfect for that project because of the construction details. The bottom is almost 13 inches wide, and is glued to the lap desk frame. Quartersawn white pine moves very little, and gluing it cross grain isn't a recipe for failure.

   Maple moves more than pine, and your bottom could crack. If you try it, glue up pieces of dead flat and dry quartersawn stock. The same goes for the lid, where long term flatness is the issue.

2. 
   gulfstar | Jul 16, 2020 04:45pm | #2

   This is a pretty straightforward piece, they probably used pine for its light weight making it easier to carry around but any wood would work fine.

3. 
   john_c2 | Jul 16, 2020 09:00pm | #3

   This is from Chris Becksvoort's 3 part series on the lapdesk:

   "Once the carcase has been glued and sanded, I cut, profile, and attach the bottom. While it might seem almost too simple, the bottom of the lap desk is simply glued to the edge grain of the carcase. The one caveat for this procedure involves the wood species. The only native species stable enough to withstand 12 in. of cross-grain gluing is quartersawn white pine. As a result, even when making this desk out of cherry or any other hardwood, I still use quartersawn white pine for the bottom, cutting it flush with the sides, then hiding the edges with a 3/8-in. quarter-round cherry molding. While you could opt for a floating panel or frame-and-panel bottom, gluing the bottom directly to the carcase offers much better resistance against racking."

   https://www.finewoodworking.com/2010/10/27/build-a-shaker-lap-desk-part-i